The Best and Worst of Jason Clarke

“The Best and Worst of” series chronicles the career highlights and lowlights of an actor starring in one of the week's new theatrical releases. This week, I take a look at the filmography of “Pet Sematary” star Jason Clarke.

Films starring Jason Clarke that I've seen:
Death Race
Public Enemies
Lawless
Zero Dark Thirty
White House Down
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Terminator Genisys
Everest
Mudbound
Chappaquiddick
First Man
Serenity

Best Performance: Chappaquiddick (2018)
I'm going to be completely honest, I've viewed Clarke as an overrated actor for a while now. He's just always struck me as a vanilla screen presence that has tends to disappear whenever he's part of a solid ensemble (Lawless, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Mudbound). After watching Chappaquiddick last weekend, I may have to reevaluate my opinion on him. His quiet, layered portrayal of late Massachusetts senator Ted Kennedy sells this biopic's refreshingly balanced narrative that simultaneously critiques and sympathizes with the youngest member of this American political dynasty after an act of negligence puts his presidential aspirations at risk.  

Worst Performance: Mudbound (2017)
Clarke's absurd overacting in a movie that was driven by muted, heartbreaking performances from  Jason Mitchell, Carey Mulligan and Garrett Hedlund helped contribute to the crippling reliance on forced melodrama that prevented Mudbound from being great.

Best Film: Death Race (2008)
Action star extraordinaire Jason Statham has brought many timeless gifts into the world and Death Race is without question among the most special of them all. Essentially repurposing Mario Kart into an R-rated package with machine guns, flamethrowers and gory deaths galore was a brilliant idea that couldn't have possibly been executed better than it was here.  

Worst Film: First Man (2018)
What a missed opportunity. Damien Chazelle (Whiplash, La La Land) surprisingly brought none of the wonderous spectacle that drove his earlier projects to the story of Neil Armstrong and the Moon landing. Seeing one of the most monumental accomplishments in human history reduced to a plodding, minimalist character study with no significant emotional payoff was truly a god damn shame.  


Thank you for reading this week's edition of “The Best and Worst of”. The next victim of my praise and ire will be “Hellboy” star Thomas Haden Church.